Snow removal



April 8, 1930.

E A. SMITH snow REMOVAL 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed June 1924 E. A. SMITH snowREMOVAL April 8, 1930.

Filed June 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvsmoa 614mm (31. 5mm

Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITEDSTA-TES PATENT. OFFICE EDWARD A.v SMITH,QEWEST 'ENG 'LEWOOD, NEW JERSEY snow REMOVAL Application filed June 7,1924. Serial .No. 718,4 =84.

the structure may be modified in various respects without departure fromthe broad spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined andclaimed.

the apparatus shown as propelled by and supplied from an oil tank truckof more or less conventional form.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view as taken on substantially theplane of line 22 of Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are top plan and'front end views respectively of theapparatus.

In this invention the removal of the snow 5 is effected by melting thesame in a portable fire box which is propelled over the roadway by amotor truck and is independently guided so as to reach in everydirection.

The fire box is shown in the form of a relatively wide flat structureopen at the forward end of the same in the nature of a scoop 5 andhaving a throat 6 leading backwardly to a combustion chamber 7 providedwith a suitable refractory lining 8.

The heat is supplied in the present disclosureby a series of threeburners 9 sup ported on the rear wall of the combustion chamber anddischarging forwardly thereinto against a bafile wall 10 which is spacedclear of the bottom and the top of the chamber to leave flame passages11 and 12 below and above the same.

A propeller or snow wheel 13 is shown journaled in the mouth of thescoop, arranged to break up the snow and throw it rearwardly into theinfluence of the heat from the combustion chamber and air blast pipesare shown provided at 14 for producing a further agitation. Passages 15in the bottom of the melting chamber provide for the escape of theFigure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of melted snow and thisportion ofthe bottom is shown sloped re'arwa'rdly toward the combustionchamber to cause rapid melting and free flow of the melted products.

- The burners may be of anyapproved construction and are shown ascontrolled by individual hand wheels 16 which govern admission ofcompressed air through piping 17 and oil through piping 18. Theoilpiping-lS is shown as branched from a header 19 .sup plied from anoil tank 20 on the power truck 21 the supply connections including aflexible detachable coupling at 22.

The air piping 17 isindicated in the form of branches from a header 23connected by pipe 55 24 with the compressed air tank 25 which latter isconnected by pipe 26 with a vcoinpressor '27. v

The compressor is illustrated as driven by a gas engine 28 mounted onthe platform 29 at the rear of the fire boX structure and this primemover is also utilized in the illustration to drive the snow wheelthrough the sprocket gearing 30, such drive connections including aclutch 31 which can be opera ted at will to throw thesnow wheel into orout .of operation. I

The entire melting apparatus is shown mounted in'a frame made up 'ofside bars 32 connected at therear by a cross bar 33. said side barsbeing inclined downwardly and for wardly from the rearmost point and:connected toward the front by a transverse axle bar 34to which runners35 are shown pivoted at 36. The cross bar at the rear of the frame isshown provided with a bracket 37, supported on a bracket 38 at theforward end of the truck and pivoted thereto by a detachable pin or bolt39, The rearward end of the device is thus pivotally supported by themotor truck to which it is detachably connected and the forward end issupported on runners which can be shifted for steering purposes in theillustration by'steering wheels 10 connected by s rocket chain 41 to asteering arm 42 from which links .43 are extended to the steering sleds.

In this particular disclosure the ends of the axle beam are shownextended at .the

"si e-s at he machine t6 re e e stuba e 19 linkage 47 with the steeringarm so as to be shifted 1n the same manner as the runners.

The provision of two steering wheels providecl at opposite sides of themachine, as illustrated, enables an operator to walk along either sideof the machine and steer while observing operations.

The head of liquid within the tank ordinarily provides sufiicientpressure on the liquid fuel furnished the burners, but if desired, thefuel may be supplied under positive pressure from a pump 48 mounted onthe truck. The fuel for operating the prime mover is shown carried in atank 49 and supplied'tothe engine by piping 50.

A hinged door 51 is shown provided in the top of the combustion chamberto facilitate lighting of the burners, inspection of the combustionchamber, etc.

\Vhen not needed, the device can be readily uncoupled from the motortruckand being relatively compact can be stored in a fairly small place.The attachment to the motor truck is a simple operation so that thedevice can be quickly brought into use whenever required. The machinemay then be pro pelled along the roadway at thespeed best suited to meltthe snow, this action being governed by the fact that the snow is meltedvery rapidly because of the intense heat generated in the combustionchamber and the snow being broken up and hurled rearwardly into the pathof the flames and toward the hotbaffle wall 10.

- The blower pipes 15 are shown connected with the compressed'air tankby piping 52 and this is shown equipped with a hand valve 53 so that theaction of these blowers may be readily regulated.

What is claimed is:

1. In snow removal, melting apparatus open at the forward end and havinga frame including side bars extending from the forward end of theapparatus rearwardly and connected at the rear by a crossbar, said crossbar provided with a pivot bracket for enabling pivotal engagement of theframe with the forward, portion of a motor truck, said side barsextending from the pivotal support forwardly on a downward incline, anaxle beam underneath the forward portions of said side bars and steeringsupport ing means connected with said axle bar.

2. Snow removal apparatus, comprising a portable snow melting chamberopen to receive the snow, a combustion chamber in rear of said meltingchamber, a baflie wall between the melting chamber and combustionchamher having flame passages above and below the same, a burner at therear of the combustion chamber directed against the baflie wall toenable combustion of fuel within the combustion chamber and passage offlame over and under said baffle wall into the forward melting chamberand means for steering the apparatus to direct the open melting chamberaccording to requirements.

3. Snow removing apparatus, comprising a portable chamber open at thefront to receive the snow, a rotating snow wheel at the entrance to saidchamber adapted to break up the snow and throw it up in flaked form intothe rearward portion of said chamber, a combustion chamber in rear ofsaid snow receiving and flaking chamber and a burner discharging intosaid combustion chamber and directing a hot blast forwardly into therearward portion of the snow receiving chamber, communication betweenthe combustion chamber and the snow chamber consisting of flame passagesthrough which the burner discharges, preventing entrance of snow intothe combustion chamber and whereby to in stantaneously melt the flakedsnow floated in the snow chamber by the rotating snow wheel.

Inwitness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of May,1924.

EDWARD A. SMITH.

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